How Nutter Wants to Tackle Budget Shortfall
Faced with a $1 billion budget shortfall over five years, Mayor Nutter has announced a wide-ranging response. These are among the cuts, reductions and revenue enhancements proposed to offset the shortfall:
Faced with a $1 billion budget shortfall over five years, Mayor Nutter has announced a wide-ranging response. These are among the cuts, reductions and revenue enhancements proposed to offset the shortfall:
Reduce police overtime, saving $8 million.
Eliminate 50 non-patrol police vehicles, saving $693,000.
Reassign five engine companies and two ladder companies of the Philadelphia Fire Department, saving $10 million.
Reduce staffing at the Office of Emergency Management, saving $380,000.
Step up collection of reimbursement for police overtime at special events, generating $3 million.
Raise the fine for false alarms from $35 to $50, generating approximately $800,000
Implement rate increases for ambulance services, generating $1 million.
Health and opportunity
Close 11 of 54 branch libraries, and eliminate Sunday hours at the three regional libraries, saving $8 million.
Close 68 of 81 city-run swimming pools; close three ice rinks; discontinue municipal funding for summer concerts at the Dell; and eliminate the city's $355,000 contribution to the Mummers Parade, for a combined savings of $2.6 million.
Eliminate six nonessential positions in the health commissioner's office, saving $958,000.
Close one 10-bed emergency housing site, and reduce case-management services at 10 other sites, saving $1.3 million.
Reduce overtime by redeploying staff, saving $2 million.
Eliminate the four remaining curfew centers, and reduce funding to the Mural Arts Program and for some youth development programs, saving a total of $2.5 million.
Reduce the mowing of Fairmount Park grass from 14 to 12 times a year, and reduce tree pruning and removal, for a total savings of $3.1 million.
Reduce by $35,500 each the contributions to the Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia Film Office, and Historic Philadelphia programs.
Finance and law
Step up collection of delinquent taxes, generating approximately $9 million.
Reduce from $4 million to $2 million the city's contribution to Community College of Philadelphia.
Reduce from $1 million to $500,000 the city's contribution to the summer internship program of the Philadelphia Youth Network.
Eliminate eight vacant and five filled positions in the mayor's office. Implement salary reductions of 3.75 to 5 percent for non-civil-service employees. Nutter will see a 10 percent pay cut.
Transportation and utilities
Reduce electricity costs, saving $1 million.
Improve the waste-recycling system, saving $1 million.
Eliminate residential street cleaning, saving $425,000.
Eliminate snow plowing on tertiary streets, except during weather emergencies, saving an estimated $1.6 million.
Eliminate bulk and tire collections and special collections for fallen leaves. This year, there will be one scheduled leaf pickup instead of two.
Economic development
Increase fees for housing licenses, business-privilege licenses, commercial building permits and signage.
Eliminate 23 general and administrative positions, including eight jobs with the street-vendor enforcement unit.
Reduce from $4 million to $2 million the city's contract with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to manage vacant land.
Administration and technology
Reduce telecommunications costs, saving $1 million.
Reduce overtime, saving $2 million.
Eliminate 20 unfilled positions.
Reduce vehicle purchases by Fleet Management, saving $7 million.
Overall, the city, which has a workforce of around 28,000, proposes to cut about 600 vacant positions and 200 current jobs.
- Michael Matza
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